Chapter 61, Chapter 61

This act shall be known and may be cited as the “West Virginia Computer Crime and Abuse Act.”

(a) Any person who willfully and maliciously sets fire to or burns, or who causes to be burned, or who aids, counsels, procures, persuades, incites, entices or solicits any person to burn, any dwelling, whether occupied, unoccupied or vacant, or any outbuilding, whether the prope…

As used in this article: (1) “Structure” means any building of any kind, either temporary or permanent, which has a roof over it, together with the curtilage thereof. (2) “Conveyance” means any motor vehicle, vessel, railroad car, railroad engine, trailer, aircraft or sleeping ca…

As used in this article, unless the context otherwise requires: (a) "Destructive device" means any bomb, grenade, mine, rocket, missile, pipebomb or similar device containing an explosive, incendiary, explosive gas or expanding gas which is designed or so constructed as to explod…

(a) A person commits the offense of shoplifting if, with intent to appropriate merchandise without paying the merchant's stated price for the merchandise, such person, alone or in concert with another person, knowingly: (1) Conceals the merchandise upon his or her person or in an…

As used in this article: (1) “Cable system” means any facility within this state consisting of a set of closed transmission paths and associated signal generation, reception and control equipment that is designed to provide cable television service which includes video programmin…

Any person who knowingly, willfully and without authorization discloses a password, identifying code, personal identification number or other confidential information about a computer security system to another person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof…

Any person who wantonly performs any act with a destructive device, explosive material or incendiary device which creates substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to another shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be committed to the custody of t…

(a) Any person who breaks and enters, or enters without breaking, a dwelling house of another or outbuilding adjoining the dwelling with the intent to commit a violation of the criminal laws of this state is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in …

(a) Unless specifically prohibited by any provision of this code or the laws of the United States, nothing in this article prohibits the authorized manufacture, sale, transportation, distribution, use or possession of any explosive material by any person holding a permit for such…

Any person who knowingly, willfully and without authorization accesses or causes to be accessed any computer or computer network and thereby obtains information filed by any person with the state or any county or municipality which is required by law to be kept confidential shall…

Any destructive device, explosive material, incendiary device or hoax bomb possessed, involved in, used or intended to be used in a violation of this article or any violation of any criminal law or regulation of this state are hereby declared to be contraband and any property int…

Any person who knowingly, willfully and without authorization accesses a computer or computer network and examines any employment, salary, credit or any other financial or personal information relating to any other person, after the time at which the offender knows or reasonably …

If any person shall, at any time, break and enter, or shall enter without breaking, any office, shop, storehouse, warehouse, banking house, or any house or building, other than a dwelling house or outhouse adjoining thereto or occupied therewith, any railroad or traction car, pro…

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the seizure and use of items under the provisions of this article is not contemplated to be a forfeiture as the same is used in section five, article XII of the Constitution of West Virginia and to the extent that such seizure and us…

(a) If a person commits simple larceny of goods or chattels of the value of $1,000 or more, such person is guilty of a felony, designated grand larceny, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than ten years, or, in the dis…

(a) As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) “Access device” means any card, plate, code, account number, or other means of account access that can be used, alone or in conjunction with another access device, to obtain money, goods, serv…

If any person steal any bank note, check, or other writing or paper of value, or any book of accounts for or concerning money or goods due to be delivered, he shall be deemed guilty of the larceny thereof, and receive the same punishment, according to the value of the article sto…

Any person who accesses a computer or computer network and knowingly, willfully and without authorization (a) interrupts or impairs the providing of services by any private or public utility; (b) interrupts or impairs the providing of any medical services; (c) interrupts or impai…

(a) It is unlawful for any person, with the intent to harass or abuse another person, to use a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant or other electronic communication device to: (1) Make contact with another person without disclosing his or her identity with the inte…

(a) Any person over the age of 18, who knowingly uses a computer to solicit, entice, seduce, or lure, or attempt to solicit, entice, seduce or lure, a minor known or believed to be at least four years younger than the person using the computer in order to engage in any illegal ac…

(a) It is unlawful for a person to knowingly and intentionally use a computer or computer network, as defined in §61-3C-3, to engage in conduct with the intent to harass, intimidate, or bully a minor, including, but not limited to: (1) Posting, disseminating or encouraging others…

(a) For purposes of this section: "Health care worker" means a person who is an employee of a health care entity, a subcontractor, or independent contractor for a health care entity, or an employee of the subcontractor or independent contractor. The term includes, but is not limi…

In a prosecution under the preceding section, the money due on or secured by the writing, paper or book, and remaining unsatisfied, or which in any event might be collected thereon, or the value of the property or money affected thereby, shall be deemed to be the value of the art…

The creation, alteration or deletion of any computer data contained in any computer or computer network, which if done on a tangible document or instrument would constitute forgery under section five, article four, chapter sixty-one of this code will also be deemed to be forgery.…

Things which savor of the realty, and are at the time they are taken part of the freehold, whether they be of the substance or produce thereof, or affixed thereto, shall be deemed goods and chattels, of which larceny may be committed, although there be no interval between the sev…

(a) Any person whose property or person is injured by reason of a violation of any provision of this article may sue therefor in circuit court and may be entitled to recover for each violation: (1) Compensatory damages; (2) Punitive damages; and (3) Such other relief, including i…

(a) In any criminal prosecution under this article, it shall be a defense that: (1) The defendant had reasonable grounds to believe that he had authority to access or could not have reasonably known he did not have authority to access the computer, computer network, computer data…

For the purpose of criminal and civil venue under this article, any violation of this article shall be considered to have been committed: (1) In any county in which any act was performed in furtherance of any course of conduct which violates this article; (2) In the county of the…

If any person buys or receives from another person, or aids in concealing, or transfers to a person other than the owner thereof, or possesses any stolen goods or other thing of value, which he or she knows or has reason to believe has been stolen, that person is guilty of the la…

Criminal prosecution pursuant to this article shall not prevent prosecution pursuant to any other provision of law.

If any person shall bring into this state, or shall receive, convert to his own use, or sell, property of any character, of value, which was stolen in another state, and which he knows or has reason to believe was stolen, he shall be deemed guilty of the larceny thereof in the co…

The Legislature finds that: (a) The computer and related industries play an essential role in the commerce and welfare of this state. (b) Computer-related crime is a growing problem in business and government. (c) Computer-related crime has a direct effect on state commerce and c…

Any person who willfully and maliciously sets fire to or burns, or who causes to be burned, or who aids, counsels, procures, persuades, incites, entices or solicits any person to burn, any building or structure of any class or character, whether the property of himself or herself…

(a) A person who acquires cable television services for himself or another, whether through his own efforts or with the assistance of another, or both, by: (1) Making or maintaining any unauthorized connection, whether physically, electrically or inductively, to a distribution or…

It is the intention of the Legislature in enacting this article that all criminal offenses and penalties defined in this article shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to any other offenses and penalties provided for by law. The Legislature contemplates and authorizes separ…

(a) Evidence of stated price or ownership of merchandise may include, but is not limited to: (1) The actual merchandise alleged to have been shoplifted; or (2) The unaltered content of the price tag or marking from such merchandise; or (3) Properly identified photographs of such …

(a) Any person who knowingly enters in, upon, or under a structure or conveyance without being authorized, licensed, or invited, or having been authorized, licensed, or invited is requested to depart by the owner, tenant, or the agent of the owner or tenant, and refuses to do so,…

Any person who violates any provision of this article and, in doing so, accesses, permits access to, causes access to or attempts to access a computer, computer network, computer data, computer resources, computer software or computer program which is located, in whole or in part…

If any officer, agent, clerk or servant of this state, or of any county, district, school district or municipal corporation, or of any banking institution, or other corporation, or any officer of public trust in this state, or any agent, clerk or servant of any firm or person, or…

Any person who holds a fiduciary power of attorney or who has a fiduciary relationship with a person and in so doing wilfully and with intent to defraud embezzles, misappropriates or fraudulently converts for his or her own benefit, or for the benefit of another, the assets or pr…

If any provision of this article or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any other provisions or applications of this article which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to that end…

If any carrier or other person to whom money or other property which may be the subject of larceny may be delivered to be carried for hire, or if any other person who may be intrusted with such property, embezzle or fraudulently convert to his own use, or secrete with intent to d…

If any officer, clerk or agent of this state, or of any county, district, school district or municipal corporation thereof, or of any banking institution or incorporated company, or any clerk or agent of any firm or person or association of persons not incorporated, make, alter o…

(a) General. -- When used in this article, words defined in subsection (b) of this section shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except in those instances where a different meaning is provided in this article or the context in which the word is used clearly in…

If any person fraudulently destroy or conceal any will or codicil, with intent to prevent the probate thereof, he shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, be confined in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than five years. If any guardian, personal representativ…

(a)(1) If a person obtains from another by any false pretense, token or representation, with intent to defraud, any money, goods or other property which may be the subject of larceny; or (2) If a person obtains on credit from another any money, goods or other property which may b…

(a) As used in this section: (1) “Counterfeit credit card” means the following: (A) Any credit card or a representation, depiction, facsimile, aspect or component thereof that is counterfeit, fictitious, altered, forged, lost, stolen, incomplete or obtained in violation of this s…

It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to make, sell, offer or advertise for sale, possess, or give or otherwise transfer to another any instrument, apparatus, equipment, or device or plans or instructions for making or assembling any instrument, apparatus, equipment, or d…

(a) It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to intercept or monitor, or to attempt to intercept or monitor, the transmission of a message, signal or other communication by telephone between an employee or similar agent of such person, firm or corporation and a customer…